Empire of the Isles
The Empire of the Isles is a constitutional monarchy in Dishonored that is ruled by an Emperor or Empress, with a parliamentary government as its legislature. In the absence of an Imperial head of state, a Lord Regent may rule the Empire until a new Emperor or Empress is crowned. Territory The Empire encompasses four large islands and several small ones, which make up the Isles. The four main islands are Tyvia, Morley, Gristol, and Serkonos, with Gristol acting as the head state of the Empire. History At an indeterminate time, Gristol conquered its surrounding nations to form the Empire of Isles, with Morley being its latest addition. The Morley Insurrection occurred some years after its annexation, a conflict that ended in favor of the Empire; many Morley citizens still hold separatist sentiments. The Empire has repeatedly tried to colonize the Pandyssian continent, attempting to build a port city there to rival Dunwall. Despite these efforts, all colonization ventures have failed.Mysteries of Pandyssia Anton Sokolov led an expedition to Pandyssia while trying to avoid pirates on the Serkonan archipelago. During this expedition, the majority of the crew members died before reaching the continent, and Sokolov himself had to lead it after the captain perished.Travel to Pandyssia The expedition of Vera Moray and her husband predates Sokolov's by an unknown number of years. At one point, Jessamine Kaldwin was crowned Empress of the Empire of the Isles. During her reign, "...political intrigue and minor conflicts created cracks in the Empire, undermining unity across the Isles." To make matters for the Empress worse, a plague swept through the capital city of Dunwall, taking the lives of many. Empress Jessamine Kaldwin is assassinated and her daughter, Emily Kaldwin, is kidnapped. The Empress's protector, Corvo Attano is blamed for the murder and kidnapping and is apprehended. The Royal Spymaster, Hiram Burrows, takes control of the Empire and becomes Lord Regent. During the Lord Regent's reign, the problems the people of Dunwall face only worsen as people losing their lives to the Rat Plague or the blade of a thug or corrupt official becomes more common. The Lord Regent had the City Watch and other organizations such as the Military and the Overseers of the Abbey of the Everyman enforce strict laws on the people of Dunwall. However, the Lord Regent and his close allies including Arnold Timsh the City Barrister and Thaddeus Campbell the High Overseer were removed from power and Farley Havelock, Teague Martin, and Treavor Pendleton taking control of the Empire with Havelock becoming the new Lord Regent, Martin becoming the new High Overseer, and Pendleton becoming the new Prime Minister. Havelock, Martin, and Pendleton are also removed from power shortly after coming into power and Emily Kaldwin is crowned Empress or is killed. Government While Gristol is the heart of the Empire, the remaining islands are mostly autonomous, with their own heads of state. Officially, the Emperor (or Empress) is the Head of State and government of the Empire, holding a great amount of political power. Each island in the Empire has its own lesser monarch, and diplomatic and trade relations between the nations vary.Discover Dunwall: The Isles The Kaldwin family is the current ruling dynasty, and over the course of Dishonored ''two Empresses hold power: Jessamine Kaldwin, and her daughter, Emily Kaldwin. In situations where a ruler is too young to assume the throne, or a proper successor cannot be determined, a Lord Regent may act as a temporary Head of State. The legislature of the Empire is the Parliament, which the Emperor or Empress is dependent upon to pursue his or her government policies. The Parliament is headed by the Prime Minister who serves as a de facto leader of government. The Parliament appears to be made up of the aristocracy as shown with Morgan and Custis Pendleton being both aristocrats and members of Parliament. Parliament often has debates on certain topics such as the Parliament or the Emperor not being aware of the actions and deeds of the Royal Spymaster. During the later events of ''Dishonored, Treavor Pendleton becomes Prime Minister of the Empire. Military The Imperial Navy, which is led by the Grand Admiral of the Fleet and his Admirals, was used to protect the port cities of Gristol during the Morley Insurrection, as well as to ward pirates away from seafaring vessels.Admiralty and the Fleet The Empire also maintains an army, which is commanded by the Supreme Commander of the Combined Armies of the Empire and his Generals, and its soldiers patrol the streets with the City Watch. The Overseers of the Abbey of the Everyman also serve in a military capacity, but are a separate group, and neither the City Watch nor the Overseers care for one another professionally. Law During the events of Dishonored, Dunwall is ruled over by martial law: curfews are strictly enforced, nearly all supplies are rationed on pain of death, and the City Watch acts with impunity when enforcing the Lord Regent's decrees. In The Knife of Dunwall, it is also revealed that hampering production in "critical industries" (such as the whaling industry) is a high crime under Burrows' government. In addition to secular law, the citizenry must abide by the state-sanctioned religious laws of the Abbey. Religion The Empire's state religion is the Abbey of the Everyman, run by the High Overseer. Under Burrows, the Overseers have the judicial right to arrest and prosecute any citizen accused of worshiping the Outsider or participating in other occult practices, such as collecting runes or bone charms. Followers abide by seven core tenets, called the Seven Strictures, and draw teachings from their holy text, Litany on the White Cliff. Positions, Titles, and Ranks There are a number of positions of note that serve in the court of the Emperor. One being the Royal Protector who, as the title suggests, protects the Imperial head of state and his/her family. Corvo Attano serves as the Royal Protector during the events of Dishonored. The Royal Physician serves as the doctor for the Imperial court. Anton Sokolov is the Royal Physician. The Royal Spymaster assists the Emperor and the military in certain operation by gathering information through his network of spies. The Spymaster also serves as an advisor to the Emperor. Hiram Burrows, being the current Spymaster, advises that Empress Jessamine Kaldwin has Sokolov security devices installed. Another title of recognition, though not as notable as the other positions, is the Royal Interrogator who interrogates and executes criminals. The Grand Admiral of the Fleet has control of the entire Imperial Navy. Farley Havelock is the Grand Admiral of the Fleet. The Supreme Commander of the Combined Armies of the Empire is in charge of all of the Imperial Army. Farley Havelock is also the Supreme Commander of the Combined Armies of the Empire. References Category:Lore Category:Locations Category:Nations Category:Spoilers